Vehicle.



J. W. DREW.

VEHICLE,

APPLICATION TILED JUNE 29, 1911' 1,081,372, Patented Dec.16,1913.

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COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH CO.,WASHINGTON. D. c.

J. W. DREW.

VEHICLE APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29, 1911.

Patented Dec. 16, 1913.

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awe/14m jiiwea @7660 WWW JAMES W'. DREW, OF BRAGKETTVILLE, TEXAS.

VEHICLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 16,1913.

Application filed June 29, 1911. Serial No. 636,073.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, James W. DREW, citizen ofthe United States, residing at Brackettville, in the county of Kinneyand State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inVehicles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in wheel-vehicle structures, andmore particularly to vehicles employed for farm, road, country or cityvehicles.

The objects of the improvements are first, to combine lightweight,-strength, durability, ease of propulsion and steering withindependent pivot axles and a twinrcach gearing system; obviating andeliminating the unpleasant jerking and shaking of the team, driver andpassengers caused by the ungovernable front wheels of the common vehiclewhich gives way when encountering ohstruo tions that are more or lesslying in the way. Second, to obviate the weak, dangerous, and muchdreaded tendency of the common vehicle to upset when turning from a sidehill position to go up the hill, as hereafter explained. I attain theseobjects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawing,forming a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 represents aplan view of my invention with the wheels and the head portion of thebolster removed. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of one of the members ofthe two-part roller device. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of thecoupling devices between the reach and the lower bolster members. Fig. 4is a plan view enlarged of one of the bolsters together with theswiveled axles attached. Fig. 5 is a. front elevation of the parts shownin Fig. .1-, except the swiveled axles. two part T bolster detached.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawingbythe same reference characters.

The improved device embraces in general a supporting frame comprisingtwo two part bolster devices located where the ordinary axles of anordinary vehicle are located, the forward bolster device having shortswiveled axles at its ends adapted to carry bearing wheels and the rearbolster carrying similar swiveled axles likewise adapted to supportbearing wheels. The forward and rear bolster devices are substantiallyalike and the description of one will Fig. 6 is an end view of the.

suffice for both. The bolster devices each comprises a lower member 10and an upper member 11, bolted or otherwise suitably secured together.Each lower bolster member is provided near one end with a recess 12 inwhich a bearing member 13 is supported, one of the bearing members beingshown in perspective in Fig. 3 and is formed with recesses in its endsto engage against the sides of the bolster member 10 and with a centralrecess to receive a stationary reach-member 14:. The reach-member 14K isbolted as represented at 15 to the bearing member 13, and thus rigidlycouples the two bolster devices at one side of the center of the runninggear, as shown in Fig. 1. Formed in each of the bolster-members 10 nearthe other end is a recess 16 somewhat longer than the recess 12 and inwhich a bearing member 17 is mounted for a slight endwise movement, theme1nber 17 being substantially the same as the member 13, as shown inFig. 1. A. movable reach-member 18 extends through the intermediaterecess of the bearing members 17 and is pivotally united therein bybolts 19. The intermediate recesses of the bearing members 17 areslightly wider than the reach so that the necessary play or move ment ispermitted when the reach-member 18 is actuated as hereafter explained.

The bolster-members 10 are coupled by diagonal braces 20, and connectedat. 21 to the reach-member 14'. is a fulcrum bar 22 which extends overthe reach-member 18 and is connected thereto by a pivot bolt 23. Thefulcriun member 92 is bolted at 9. 1 to the braces 20 at their crossingpoints. By this means the fulcrum 22 rigidly supported in position andserves as a central support for the reach-member 18 so that when theformer is actuated. it is caused to swing upon the pivot By this meanswhen the forward end of the reach-member 18 is moved away from thestationary reach-1ne1nber 14]; the latter will be moved toward the rearend of the reach-member 141-, and this movement reversed when theforward end of the reachmember 18 is moved toward the stationaryreach-member 14, as will, be obvious. The members 1'7 are thus caused toslide within the recesses in the bolster members 10 and are retained inposition by the recesses at their ends which bear upon opposite sides ofthe lower bolster member.

At its forward end the stationary reachmember 14 is provided with astrap 25 which extends over the upper and lower faces of the reach andforms a bearing for a collar-like device 26, the collar havingpreferably square flanges 27 at its ends and bearing upon the oppositeside faces of the straps. A strap 28 which is substantially a duplicateof the strap is connected to the opposite faces of the movable reach member 18 and forms a bearing for a collar 29 having bearing flanges 30 andis a substantial duplicate of the collar member 26 with its flanges 27.

Extending inwardly from the collar 26 is a half roll-er member 31, whilea similar half roller member 32' extends inwardly from the collar 29.The members 3132 bear against each other face to face their whole lengthas shown in Fig. 1. At its center the half roller member 31 is enlargedas shown at 33 with a transverse mortised openingformed through theenlargement, while a similar enlargement is formed upon the rollermember 32 and is provided with a similar mortise, the two mortisesdesigned to receive the inner end of the tongue repre sented' at A pivotpin 36 extends through the enlargement 33 and its mortise and likewisethrough the tongue 35, while a similar pin 37 extends through the enlargement 3d and likewise through the tongue 35. By this means thetongue is coupled to the roller members and when the tongue is movedlaterally by the team theroller members will be shifted longitudinallyas will be obvious. The collar 26 is provided with a transverse apertureindicated at 38 and designed to receive the outer end of the collarmember 32, while a similar aperture 39' is formed. in the collar 29toreceive the outer end of the roller member 31. The roller members arethus guided in their movement when the tongue is moved laterally forcramping the vehicle. This movement of the tongue it will be obviouscauses the movable reach-member 18 to swing upon its pivot 23, theobject to be hereafter more fully explained. A swiveled axle isconnected to each end of each of the bolster members 10, one for each ofthe bearing wheels, and as these axle devices are precisely alike, thedescription of one will sufiice for all. The swiveled axles arerepresented at 40 and are formed with anenlargement 41 at the inner endsextending vertically, each enlargement being provided with an arm 42 atits ends which bear upon the upper and lower faces of the bolster member10, and extending downwardly through the bolster members 10 and 11 andthe arms 42 is a pivot bolt 13. By this means the axles are mounted toswing laterally upon the bolsters and firmly support-- ed relativethereto.

Each of the upper head members ii is provided with a lateral projectionGet, and

coupling the members 64: of the rearward axles is a rod 65, while asimilar rod 66 couples the projections 64 of the forward pivoted axles.Connected to the projection 6-15 next to the movable reach member 18 isa rod 67, while a similar shorter rod 68 is connected to the arm 6 1 ofthe forward swivel axle next tothe movable reach-member 18. The rods6768 are pivotally united 'at their inner ends, as shown at 69"70 to themovable reach-member 18.. By this arrangement it will be obvious that asthe reach-member 18 is moved upon its pivot 23, as before described, thepivot axles will be swungcorrespondingly tocause the wheels to cramp aswill be obviousl/Vhat I claim as new is 1. In a vehicle, a supportingframe in cluding forward and rearward bolsters each: having alongitudinally extending" recess, a bearing member slid'a-blie in eachof said recesses, an: axle mounted to swing upon ea clr end of eachbolster, a reach member mounted toswing intermediate the ends upon saidframe and engaging in said bearing menr bers, connecting means between.said reach member and said axles, and a draft tongue mounted to swingrelative to said: frame and connected to said reach member, whereby theaxles are simultaneously cramped the lateral movements of the tongue.

2.. In a vehicle of the class described, a supporting frame, pivoted:axles turning; said frame and adapted tocarry bearing wheels, a reachrigidly connected with said frame, another reach movably supported onsaid frame, connecting means between the movable reach and the pivotedaxles, and roller bearing members 31 and 32 arranged side by side andoperating to vibrate the movable reach and simultaneously cramp thewheels, and a draft tongue pivotally connected with both said bearingmembers, as shown and described.

3. In a vehicle of the class described, asupporting' frame, pivotedaxles turning upon said frame and adapted to carry bearing wheels, astationary reach supported upon said frame, a movable reach supportedupon said frame, said reaches having bearings at their forward ends,connecting means between said movable reach and said pivoted axles, ahalf roller member connected to said stationary reach and slidablethrough the bearing of the movable reach, another half roller memberconnected to the movable reach and slidable through the bearing of thestationary reach, and a draft tongue pivotally connected to both of saidroller members and operating to vibrate the movable reach and efiect thesimultaneous cramping of said wheels.

at. In a vehicle of the class described, a forward bolster and arearward bolster, pivoted axles swingingly connected respectively tosaid bolsters and each adapted to carry a bearing wheel, a reach rigidlyconnected to said bolsters, a transverse n': ember extending from saidrigid reach, a movable reach pivotally supported. intermediate the endsand extending loosely through said bolsters, means for coupling saidmovable reach to said pivoted axles, and a draft tongue connected tosaid movable reach and operating to effect the cramping of the Wheelssimul taneously with the lateral movement of the tongue.

5. In a vehicle of the class described, a forward bolster and a rearwardbolster, a stationary reach connected to said bolsters, a movable reachpivotally supported intermediate its ends from said stationary reach andextending through said bolsters, a pivoted axle connected to turn uponeach end of each of said bolsters and each adapted to carry a bearingwheel, means for coupling said movable reach to said pivoted axles, anda draft tongue connected to said movable reach and operating to effectthe cramping of the wheels simultaneously with the lateral movement ofthe tongue.

6. In a vehicle of the class described, forward and rearward bolsters,each comprising an upper and lower uiember with re cesses in the lowermembers which are closed by the upper members, pivoted axles adapted tocarry bearing wheels and mounted for oscillation on said bolsters,bearing members in said bolster recesses, one bearing member of eachbolster being slidable and the other bearing member being stationary, astationary reach extending through the stationary bearing members, amovable reach extending through the slidable bearing members, means forswingingly connecting said movable reach to said stationary reach, meansfor coupling said movable reach to said pivoted axles, a half rollermember mounted for oscillation upon said stationary reach, another halfroller member mounted for oscillation upon said movable reach, and adraft tongue pivot-ally connected to both of said roller members.

7. In a vehicle of the class described a supporting frame, pivoted axlesturning upon said frame and adapted to carry bear- .ing wheels, a reachmember rigidly connected to said frame and extending in advance of thesame, a reach member movably sup ported upon said frame and extending inadvance of the same, connecting means between said movable reach memberand said pivoted axles, a half roller member connected to said rigidreach and slidable relative to the movable reach, another half rollermember connected to said movable reach and slidable relative to therigid reach, and a draft tongue pivotally connected to bot-h of saidroller members and operating to vibrate the movable reach andsimultaneously cramp said wheels.

8. In a vehicle of the class described, a supporting frame includingbolsters at the front and rear, said bolsters each having their upperportions overhanging the lower portions, axles pivoted to swing beneaththe overhanging portions of the bolsters, said axles having oil ductscommunicating 'hrough their upper faces and covered and protected by theoverhanging portions of the bolster when in normal operative positionand exposed when the axles are moved into abnormal or inoperativeposition.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES W. DREW. [1,. s] lVitnesses JAs. T. NOLAN, BUn'rLn J onus.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C.

